Montefiore in the News

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Montefiore Honored for Commitment to Patient Safety and Quality by NEBGH and The Leapfrog Group

Montefiore Ranked among Best Hospitals in the Northeast in Key Areas

Bronx, New York (November 17, 2011) - Montefiore Medical Center was honored yesterday as a top provider of outstanding patient care and safety by The Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH), a network of employers, providers and insurers working to improve the quality and reduce the cost of healthcare in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts and The Leapfrog Group, an employer-backed health advocacy organization. This honor was based on a rigorous review of participating hospitals in the New York metropolitan area and is a prestigious, nationally-recognized seal of approval. Montefiore was one of only two area hospitals that received this distinction.

"Montefiore is honored to be recognized as a leader in delivering the best quality of care in the region," said Steven M. Safyer, MD, President and CEO of Montefiore Medical Center. "The NEBGH award reflects our success in implementing innovative practices focused solely on delivering the highest quality of care, having exceptional results and ensuring the best experience for our patients, their families and communities."

This award was based on a rigorous review of participating area hospitals conducted by The Leapfrog Group, a coalition of public and private purchasers of employee health coverage dedicated to improving healthcare safety, quality and affordability. Leapfrog assesses hospitals on a range of quality and safety practices including Computerized Physician Order Entry to prevent medication errors, ICU staffing models and measures of quality of care for a number of complex conditions and procedures. Leapfrog also benchmarks hospitals on over 30 practices that reduce the risk of medical errors and hospital-acquired infections, and improve patient outcomes. This data-driven approach is the most comprehensive measure of hospital quality available today.

"Since 1996, Montefiore has been a pioneer in electronic health records, medication safety, innovative ICU staffing and safe interdisciplinary team care practices. Our accomplishments in these areas have been instrumental in preventing errors and delivering high quality care," said Rohit Bhalla, MD, MPH, Chief Quality Officer at Montefiore Medical Center.

"As healthcare costs rise and our population ages," said Laurel Pickering, President and CEO of NEBGH, "our nation is looking to hospitals, such as Montefiore Medical Center to develop new ways of providing better care, greater value, and the highest levels of patient safety."

"Every year, more people die in hospitals from preventable mistakes, than from vehicle accidents, breast cancer and AIDS," said Leah Binder, CEO of The Leapfrog Group. "Montefiore Medical Center is a leader - in the region and across the nation - in its commitment to patient safety and better health for employees, retirees and their families."